North Korean Flood Victim Relief Campaign 4-1-7-605 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (150) Phone: +81-3-3486-4337 FAX: +81-3-3486-6789

FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 2, 1955

U.N. OFFICIAL IN PYONGYANG APPEALS TO TOKYO GROUP FOR WINTER CLOTHES & POWDERED MILK TO HELP HOMELESS FLOOD VICTIMS

An urgent appeal has gone out by the UNDP representative in Pyongyang, G. Faruq Achikzad, through the Internet, to a Tokyo-based volunteer group assisting North Korean flood victims, to donate clean warm winter clothes, blankets, shoes and also powdered milk to impede growing malnutrition in children among the 500,000 Koreans hit by the worst floods in the country's history.

The group in turn is calling on the public to search their closets for used clothing and mail or deliver it to the campaign headquarters at 4-1-7-605 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. (Hiroo Garden Hills, L Bldg. #605).

The Tokyo volunteer group, headed by former Newsweek bureau chief Bernard Krisher, established a Home page on the Internet to aid North Korean flood victims which is attracting donations from all over the world and is also being used to post messages from non-profit relief organizations such as North Korean Flood Damage commission and the UNDP.

The geographical proximity of Japan to North Korea makes the warm winter clothes movement practical since the donations can be shipped quickly and economically through a regular vessel leaving Niigata once a week for the North Korean port of Wonson. Mr. Krisher plans to accompany the first shipment himself to North Korea.

Since July, torrential rains have continued to ravage much of North Korea. A United Nations assessment mission has concluded that the flooding is affecting more than 100,000 families (or 500,000 persons) and caused severe crop and industrial damage.

Mr. Achikzad, whose U.N. team has visited the sites of the most severely affected flood damaged areas and personally distributed drugs, blankets and daily necessities to the victims from among the foreign donations the UNDP has received, said he was impressed with the disciplined, well-organized and fair distribution system established by the North Korean authorities.

He confirmed a 12-member medical team of the French organization, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), had arrived in Pyongyang to aid victims directly at three sites with their equipment and donations.

He also declared "there definitely was no cholera" in North Korea but "certain cases of diarrhea and respiratory problems" for which drugs were needed and powdered milk was essential for the children suffering from malnutrition. The shortages, he noted, were compounded by infrastructural problem as plants manufacturing certain drugs and food products as well as electrical facilities had been destroyed by the floods. Donations from Switzerland and Italy, including construction materials and engineers were being flown into North Korea through Berlin on a North Korean plane with the UN footing the fuel bill of $30,000.

"The floods in North Korea affected one fourth of the country and left half a million persons homeless who now face a harsh winter, malnutrition, and the potential spread of measles and dysentery." says Krisher who has been to North Korea three times. "This disaster is as severe as Kobe but because North Korea is isolated and does not have diplomatic relations with many countries, the calamity has been under-reported while politics have stood in the way of the usual international relief which is offered when disasters of this nature hit a country."

The U.N. relief target for $15.7 million in emergency aid has been slow in reaching its objective which is a reason the Internet campaign was established by Krisher and a group of Tokyo-based volunteers. The Home page which contains frequent updated news on the relief activities, includes a map of the affected areas, e-mail from donors and messages from the North Korean flood damage authorities, may be accessed at: http://shrine.cyber.ad.jp/mrosin/flood

Donations of clean used warm winter clothes, blankets, cloth, and shoes may be delivered in person or by mail in cardboard boxes (with the list of enclosed items written on the cover of the box) to:

Bernard Krisher

Hiroo Garden Hills

4-1-7-605 Hiroo (L Bldg)

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (150)

Tel: (03) 3486-4337

Fax: (03) 3486-6789

Internet: bernie@media.mit.edu

These will be shipped to North Korea and personally delivered by Mr. Krisher who will provide donors with a receipt and verification of the distribution.